MPs face anger of child-care workers

Federal politicians arriving in Canberra today for this week's sitting of Parliament will be confronted by child-care workers fighting to improve "abysmal" pay and working conditions.

Hundreds of workers and supporters will line the main road from the airport to the city centre, carrying placards urging the MPs to take child-care issues seriously in the lead-up to the next election.

Officials of the Child Care Union hope to impress on the lawmakers that, even though they have one of the most important jobs in the community, they get paid less than supermarket checkout operators.

The MPs will be asked to join a rally, being held at the Molonglo Reach park near the airport on the eve of International Women's Day, to show their solidarity with the efforts of workers and parents.

It is understood Opposition Leader Mark Latham will appear at the rally, which begins at noon.

The cheeky confrontation with MPs comes after a week of meetings across the state at which child-care professionals discussed the upcoming special pay equity case before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission, aimed at winning proper recognition of the value of child-care work.

The union will argue that child-care workers are undervalued compared with those in other industries, and improvements in pay and conditions are needed to stop the flow of workers out of the industry.

Union NSW vice-president Sonia Minutillo said child-care workers were underpaid, even though there was an expectation that they take on huge responsibilities, provide quality care and commence the grounding of children's education.

"The wages for this socially important job are absolutely abysmal: $14.37 an hour is the award rate for a person with two years' experience and tertiary qualifications," Ms Minutillo said.

"In comparison, the award rate for a librarian is $27 an hour, a waiter $18.70 an hour and a supermarket checkout operator $14.63 an hour."

Ms Minutillo said the union was committed to making sure child-care was an issue in this year's election.

"The child-care industry is dominated by women and the skills involved in this area of work are often unappreciated," she said.

"Monday is International Women's Day and politicians who do not support women, especially women's right to decent work, will suffer at the election."

Ms Minutillo said with the average cost of placing a child in day care between $38 and $50 a day, the Government should foot the bill if wages were increased.